Fr. Fred Kammer, SJ

Biography:

When Fr. Fred Kammer, SJ, entered the Society of Jesus in 1963, Vatican II had just opened, and its teachings shaped his formation as a Jesuit. He felt called to the vision of a “modern church” that stood with its people against unjust governments and social systems.   From 2009 to 2021, he addressed social justice issues as director of the Jesuit Social Research Institute at Loyola University New Orleans. A joint project of the university and the Jesuits USA Central and Southern (UCS) Province, JSRI addresses issues of poverty, race and immigration in the Gulf South through research, education and advocacy. Father Kammer founded JSRI while he was provincial of the former New Orleans Jesuit Province.   He previously served as president/CEO of Catholic Charities USA, the nation’s largest voluntary human service network. He has also worked in a number of programs for the underprivileged, both as a lay volunteer, an attorney, an advocate, and an administrator.   The New Orleans native earned a law degree from Yale University and M. Div. from Loyola University in Chicago.   His three written works encapsulate what has been his life’s focus: promoting a Catholic faith that does justice.